Project Hope
by TheManThatWritesStories
Summary: Peter Parker is a shell of his former self. Now he's set his sights on Harry Osborne; the one who stole Spiderman's whole world from him. But what if Peter Parker finds a way to restore that hope? And who will help him do it? Or will he fall short... like he had before? Post-The Amazing Spiderman 2 movieverse.
1. Chapter 1

_Thud. _That awful thud still rang in Peter's ears as he stared up at his cream-colored ceiling. In four days, it will be one year since he had failed Gwen and her father. One year since his entire world had crumbled because he hadn't kept his promise.

Peter bit his lip and shook his head as he felt moisture pool up in the corners of his eyes. Gwen wouldn't want to see him cry. She would want him to be the Peter Parker that she knew and loved. That shy guy who was actually a superhuman hero. The Peter Parker that she died for.

Peter sat up and plunged his head into his hands. How could he be that Peter Parker without Gwen? She had been his entire world. She was a _part _of him. He would never be the same again. It just wasn't possible.

He jumped slightly as Aunt Mae knocked on his door. He sighed and called out to her.

"Come on in."

The door creaked open slightly, but no one entered. That wasn't like Aunt Mae. After a couple of seconds, Peter's confusion transformed into alertness. He dropped into a fighting stance, making sure to plan escape routes just in case.

The door squeaked loudly as he opened it the rest of the way. Peter peered around the door frame into the hallway, but he only saw the carpeted stretch of wood that he'd grown to know like the back of his hand.

Peter's stomach dropped as his eyes followed the carpet. Moonlight shone through the open window at the end of the hall, casting a long shadow down the carpet. He slowly looked up at the figure, whose face was obscured by the light cast around them. However, when they spoke, all doubt vanished from Peter's mind.

"Peter?" a very familiar voice called. He started to cry, hot tears leaving trails down his pale cheeks.

"Is it really you?" he choked out, a sob escaping his throat as he spoke. The figure took a step closer and stretched out its arms.

"Come here."

It was all Peter could do to keep from sprinting into those arms. He stood quickly, his arms flopping to his sides. His legs were completely jello, his knees wobbling with every step.

When he reached the figure, the one that he knew better than he knew himself, he wrapped Gwen up in a strong embrace, silently sobbing into her shoulder.

"How are you here?" he asked once his sobs had somewhat subsided. When she didn't answer, he took a step back and looked at her face. Except it wasn't her. _Thud. _

Now it was Harry Osborne, a pre-monster phase Harry Osborne, whose face was contorted into the most malicious grin Peter had ever seen.

"Got you, Parker."

_Thud. _

Peter turned and tried to run, but his legs wouldn't move. He strained and struggled, but his feet were seemingly glued to the spot. A glance over his own shoulder revealed to Peter that Harry wasn't where he had just been standing. He was gone. _Thud. _

"Osborne? Where are you?" Peter called, his voice sounding very small and weak. As if on cue, Harry manifested in front of him. However, he was now the beast that the spider venom had transformed him into. _Thud._

"What's wrong, Parker? Frightened?" Harry asked cockily, the grin still lighting up his disgusting features.

Peter tried to be his usual sarcastic self, "Scared? Yeah, maybe of that haircut."

This remark didn't seem to phase Harry, who slowly moved closer and closer to Peter. _Thud._

"I've got you right where I want you, Parker. Except now I don't need your blood to keep me alive." he said quietly. _Thud. _Suddenly, the grin disappeared, and a guttural growl escaped Harry's throat as he lunged for Peter Parker's throat. _THUD. _

Peter shot up in his bed, a cold sweat drenching him. He quickly scanned his surroundings, relaxing as he realized that it was all a dream. The _thud _still resounded in his ears as he got out of his bed and walked out into the hall, which was empty.

The window practically _begged _Peter to open it and go for a "walk". He finally gave in to his temptation and pulled on a baggy hoodie and sweats. No point in putting on the entire suit at this time of night. He grabbed just his mask and jumped out the window into the cool night air. Pulling on his mask as he ran, he jumped and shot a long string of web out of his wrist. He felt the familiar tensioning as the web hit its target, and he grabbed the web with both hands, the feeling of flying through the air enveloping his thoughts.

Zipping through sections of tall buildings easily, Peter made his way to the place where Gwen had first discovered his secret. As he peaked the spire of a larger building near Gwen's, he saw the familiar balcony where they had been caught kissing on that night that seemed so long ago. He sighed and jumped down, shooting a web to break his rather lofty fall. He bounced comfortably and landed on his feet. The balcony wall supported him as he leaned his arms on it, just as he had done on that fateful night.

Everything reminded him of Gwen. The power lines reminded him of their epic battle against Electro. The railroads in the distance reminded him of the voice mail that had almost torn him in half. The wind seemed to carry her voice when it blew. Oscorp in the distance... reminded him of Harry. The one who took Gwen from him. The one who took his hope. He would get Harry Osborne. He would get him if it was the last thing Spiderman ever did. If it was the last thing Peter Parker ever did.

The New York City wind blew right through him, making him shiver. But he didn't pay any attention.


	2. Chapter 2

New York City bustled as usual, no one noticing the young briefcase-toting man weaving his way through the throngs of people. No one noticed the evil smirk on his face, the evil glint in his eye. No one noticed when he slipped into the dark alley next to Oscorp.

Waiting for him in the alley was none other than Harry Osborne himself.

"Ah, terrific. I've been expecting you," said Osborne with a grin. The man nodded and held out the briefcase.

"Everything you'll need is in here."

Harry took the case, rubbing it's glossy leather shell.

"It's been a pleasure doing business," Harry said with a chuckle, and he extended his hand to his partner. Hands were shaken, and the man turned and stalked off, disappearing into the bustling crowds once more.

Harry Osborne couldn't contain his grin as he took the case back to his residence. He practically ran inside, not bothering to shut the door behind him. He sat the case down on the table and slowly popped open the locks on either side of the case. The lid lifted, and Harry's grin grew even more.

"Yes. Yes. Finally! Finally, this city will be _mine_!"

His laughter echoed through his whole house.

* * *

Peter groaned as he awoke to a door creaking open.

"Go away, Aunt Mae. I don't have to get up anymore. I graduated, remember?" he said, but there is no response. He opened his eyes, and his heart jumped into his throat. He was still wearing his mask. And he wasn't in his bed.

'Oh no,' he thought frantically, 'I must have fallen asleep on Gwen's deck!'

He sat up slowly, wondering who would be there to interrogate him.

"Yeah, I kinda fell asleep on your deck, but I'll leave right-" He stopped as he turned and saw no one there. Instead, he saw a plate with a bagel and some eggs on the table. He stood and walked over to it, grabbing a note that was folded neatly next to it.

"Spiderman," Peter read aloud, "please accept this humble gift from the Stacey's. We know you did your absolute best to protect our daughter, Gwen. Thank you, and safe travels!"

Peter's stomach knotted on itself four times before he could bring himself to stop reading the note. They made him breakfast.

Peter raised his mask to just above his nose as he slowly grabbed the bagel, scooped the eggs onto it with his free hand, and took a large bite. He almost groaned aloud as the wonderful flavor enveloped his taste buds. The eggs were still hot, and the bagel had so many different spices baked into it.

Once he had inhaled the bagel, he grabbed the note, folded it, and slid it into his pocket. He wasn't going to forget this.

The sun shone brightly in the sky as Peter swung through the buildings, making sure to stop on his favorite building in New York. He sat on an air vent, taking in the beautiful view. He had always wanted to bring Gwen up here, to show her this amazing view. It would have been the spot where he proposed.

His eyes filled with tears, but no one was up here. No one would know. He let the tears spill over onto his cheeks, not caring that they were inside his mask.

"Gwen. Oh, Gwen. I failed you. I failed you," he repeated, and a blackbird squawked behind him. The creature scared him, causing him to jump and almost fall backwards off of the air vent. He turned and scowled at the bird.

"Go on, get!" he said, standing up and shooing the bird away. But, as he did so, he saw something magnificent. Something so magnificent that he had to take off his mask to confirm that he'd seen it correctly. He had.

It was central park. But not just any old central park. It was completely in bloom. There were all different variations of pinks and blues and vibrant greens. Peter almost cried at the sight of it. To most people, it would've been but a pretty sight. However, Peter saw more than that. It gave him hope. It gave him hope because, even after all of the horrible things that had happened to him in the past year, the earth still managed to produce something so gorgeous.

Peter smiled, put his mask back on, sprinted to the edge of the building, and jumped, relishing the sense of free falling as the wind whistled around him.

* * *

When Peter returned home, he made sure to remove his mask and stuff it into his pocket before facing Aunt Mae. Sure enough, when he knocked on the door, Aunt Mae didn't hesitate to chew his head off and ask him a million times where he'd been.

"Peter, you could have been KILLED! New York is a dangerous place! You, of all people, should know that!" she screeched at him, angrily throwing clothes into the washing machine as she did so.

"Yeah Aunt Mae, I know. I just needed to get out of the house. My thoughts were getting the best of me," he responded quietly, and with that he retreated to his room.

He flopped down onto his bed, pulling out his favorite picture of Gwen. She was wearing her trademark sweater, jeans, and converse.

He planted a small kiss on the picture and clutched it to his chest. With a sigh, he put one more tally mark on his calendar. Tomorrow will be a year since he lost year. One whole year.

A breath caught in his throat as he once again visualized her face. Not the face that said "Catch me, Peter!". No, he visualized the face that said "Peter Parker didn't catch me."

The tears were rolling again.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews so far! :) **

"Peter?" Aunt Mae called from downstairs. He had holed up in his room since being chewed out by his kin, and he called back nonchalantly.

"Yeah?"

"Will you come down here for just a moment?" she asked in a tone that he'd never heard her use before. It sounded very nervous and hesitant, and this immediately peaked his curiosity. He threw the photo of Gwen into his drawer and trotted down the stairs.

"What's up?" he asked as he strode into the kitchen. Aunt Mae was hunched over a laundry basket, holding an article of clothing in her hands. She turned around and held up the torso piece of his Spiderman suit. His eyes bulged out of his head. "Why do you have that?!"

"Peter... is there something you aren't telling me?" she asked, but he didn't answer. Instead, he ran over to her, yanking the suit out of her hands.

"I told you Mae, I do my own laundry!" he yelled, and he turned and stomped up the stairs without looking back. He shut and locked the door behind him as he strode into his room and threw the suit to the floor.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, and he raked his fingers through his hair. He tried to think of all the outs to this situation, but there didn't seem to be a very valid one. The only thing he could think of was fan merchandise, but he knew she would never buy that. He had never been a good actor anyways.

After sitting on his windowsill for about a half an hour, his conscience started to hound him for the way he had treated his aunt.

'After all she's done for you? You're just going to treat her like crap? What would you have done if she _hadn't _taken you in? What are you _doing_?' his conscience asked, pushing his buttons extremely well. He sighed heavily, trying to procure an apology. Finally, he decided to wing it, standing and heading for the stairs.

"Aunt Mae?" he called as he descended the stairs. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw Aunt Mae sitting with her head in her hands, her body trembling. He looked down at his feet, completely devastated that he had been that horrid to her.

"Aunt Mae," he began as he sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her. However, when he did so, she stood up and pushed his arm away. "Look, I'm sorry for how I acted-"

"How could you not _tell _me?!" she exclaimed through a choked sob. "I'm the only family you _have_! And you couldn't tell me that _you're _the superhero that's been saving New York for the past three years?! How could you live with yourself, Peter?"

Peter dropped his head to his hands, shrugging.

"I don't know. I just wanted to protect you, I guess-"

"From what, Peter? Protect me from what?" she pressed, putting her hands on her hips and pursing her lips, despite the tears that were streaming down her face.

"From _those_!" he exclaimed, standing and gesturing to the window. She followed his outstretched arms with her eyes then looked back at him, a confused expression showering her face. He facepalmed. "The bad guys, Aunt Mae! That flying dude? The one with the crazy hair and the nasty complexion? _He _took Gwen from me," Peter exclaimed, "and I don't want him taking you too." His voice cracked on the last word, and Peter sat down, his head finding his hands once again.

Mae gasped and put her hands over her mouth.

"Peter, I... I had no idea, I'm so sorry..." she said, trying to console him by rubbing his back and kissing the top of his head.

"Ah, it's okay Aunt Mae. You didn't know. I'm sorry I kept the secret from you for all this time. But I guess it's better that you know. You just have to promise me one thing, okay?" he asked, and she nodded rapidly.

"Anything, Petey."

"Okay... you have to promise not to get involved in my battles. That's how Harry got his hands on Gwen at all. I promised not to involve her, but I just couldn't say no to her. Honestly, without her brains, I don't think I could have done it. I don't know where I'd be right now," Peter said, and he kissed his hand and pointed to the sky, as if sending a kiss straight to Gwen's lips.

Aunt Mae stared at him for a couple of seconds. Peter eyed her warily.

"What?"

"Did you say Harry? Harry who?" she asked, and he coughed nervously.

"Um, it's Harry Osborne. You know my old friend? Well he had a fatal disease, and he thought the venom in Spiderman's blood would keep him alive. However, he didn't know I was Spiderman, so he thought I'd help him find the spidery hero. Well, "Spiderman" paid him a visit and rejected his request. So, Harry found the other venom hidden in Oscorp, and he came after Spiderman."

Aunt Mae was speechless.

"Yeah," Peter said with a dry chuckle, "crazy."

"Well... why did he kill Gwen if he wanted Spiderman?" she asked, and Peter shrugged once more.

"I guess he thought that since Spiderman had rejected his request and basically killed him, he had to kill Spiderman. And if he couldn't kill Spiderman, he'd do something that would destroy him from the inside out. Which he did."

Aunt Mae nodded.

"Well," she said, standing up and shuffling over to the laundry basket, "I appreciate you opening up to me like that. If you'd like me to wash your... er-... uniform, I'd be more than happy to."

This brought a smile to Peter's face, and he nodded. He went up the stairs, taking them two at a time as he retrieved the matching shirt, pants, and mask. He returned to Aunt Mae and threw them in the basket.

"Where did you _get _these?" she said, awestruck at Peter's craftsmanship, even though she didn't know it. He chuckled.

"I made them Aunt Mae! I studied bobsled suits, and I wanted something similar to that. Breathable, yet flexible and protective. And look," he said, gesturing to his uninjured body, "it works!"

Aunt Mae grinned and rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah, Spidey boy! So... let me see some of these powers. To make sure you aren't lying!"

He raised his eyebrows, accepting her challenge. He shot a string of web and wrapped it around a cookie jar, bringing it back to his hand by retracting his web. He held up the cookie jar proudly, smirking widely at his amazed aunt.

"Wow, Peter...I don't even know what to say!"

"I do," he said with a smile, "Good night Aunt Mae. Love you."

And with that, Peter Parker turned and walked up his stairs, not bothering to turn off the lights as he flopped down on his bed and passed out in his clothes.

**Read and Review. Thanks everyone. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews and follows, guys! :D**

Harry Osborne rubbed his eyes for the umpteenth time in twenty minutes. He had stayed awake all night, encoding the program that would hand the city over to him. He yawned widely and stretched, tipping his desk chair back onto two legs. He considered taking a break since he hadn't slept for 36 hours straight, but he shook his head vigorously.

"No, stay awake Harry. Only a few more lines, and this program is _done_." he convinced himself, scooting close to his desk and positioning his hands over the keyboard. His fingers flew over the keyboard, _click click click_.

As he reached the end of his coding, he slammed his index finger down on the enter key, saving all of the code on his... _business _USB drive. He sat back and relaxed, putting his arms behind his head.

"Well Harry," he said to himself, "you've really outdone yourself this time. That idiotic excuse for a superhero isn't going to stand a _chance_."

The evil smile that he had come to know so well had crept onto his face, and he embraced it as he stood and headed for his bedroom, ready to put Project Parker into effect first thing in the morning.

* * *

Peter Parker approached the meatball joint on 5th avenue that Gwen had told him about when he had first been introduced to Electro. Peter still felt sick to his stomach when he thought about Max Dillon, the awkward, kind-hearted guy that could do no wrong turning into that..._monster_. It hurt his heart.

However, Peter sent those thoughts to the back of his head. He was supposed to be meeting a higher power of The Daily Bugle for lunch to discuss a promotion in the photography department.

As the waitress led him to a secluded table in the back, he noticed an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. But Peter's "spidey sense" felt different than this, so he just filed it away as nothing more than nervousness.

The menu held nothing that caught his interest. His eyes scanned the laminated fold out for meatballs, but he couldn't locate any.

"Excuse me?" he asked a passing waiter, a young man in his twenties with black shaggy hair.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?"

"Do you have meatballs? I can't seem to find them on the menu, but one of my...close friends referred me to this place for them," Peter said, and the waiter furrowed his eyebrows.

"No sir, I can't say that we do. Is there anything else that you want?" the waiter asked, pulling out a pad and a pen. Peter shook his head, earning an apologetic look from the waiter before he turned and hurried back into the kitchen.

"Peter Parker!" a voice called from the door, and Peter's head jerked towards the sound of his name. He stood up and waved at the woman who had called his name, and she nodded at him before coming and joining him.

She extended her hand to him, which he graciously took.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs...?"

"Watson. But you may call me Mary Jane," she said with a smile. She wasn't much older than him. In fact, she looked to be of his age or slightly older. She had medium-length red hair that hung in loose curls on her shoulders, and they bounced when she walked.

"Well, it's a pleasure, Mary Jane," he said, returning her smile. She reached into her briefcase, fishing for a piece of paper.

Once she had surfaced with her paper, she slid it across the table to Peter.

"Let's cut to the chase, Parker," she began, "we both know you're the best photographer for the Bugle. We also both know that you're going to get this job. So if you'll sign that paper, your life will be _much _better financially."

Her bluntness caused his eyebrows to shoot up, and he had to bite the interior of his cheek to keep himself from laughing at how serious she was.

"Yes ma'am," he said with a sarcastic salute, which resulted in a small smile. He grabbed a pen from his coat pocket, and he signed the paper. She took the paper back and returned it to her briefcase, picking up the menu once she did so.

The waiter that had informed him of their lack of meatballs returned, and the girl turned to him.

"Can I have meatballs please?" she asked nicely, and Peter's eyebrows furrowed. He looked back and forth from the waiter to Bugle girl, and the waiter put on the same apologetic look that he had given Peter.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. Your friend asked for those as well," he gestured to Peter, "but I'm afraid we don't have any meatballs."

"What? That's impossible. One of my greatest friends referred me to this place before she passed. She wouldn't just lie!" the girl explained to the waiter, and Peter's face went pale. Her friend that _passed _told her about this place? Could it have been...?

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I wish I could help," the waiter said, but instead of trying to help, he walked straight into the kitchen.

The girl sighed exasperatedly and her eyes found Peter, who she noticed was staring at his water intently.

She snapped her fingers a couple of inches from his face, and he jumped, awaking from his trance.

"Oh, sorry, I just..." Peter began, but he stopped. She gestured for him to continue. "Do you know Gwen Stacey? Or, _did_ you?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard, and it changed her entire demeanor. The glint in her eye turned very serious, and her whole body seemed to slump in her booth.

"Well, yeah. We were _very _close. Best friends since elementary school. Since before that. We were inseparable. But ever since I got this job at the Bugle, I've had so much work, and Gwen and I kinda fell out of touch. And then she died... I never got to say goodbye," she explained, and Peter nodded, knowing exactly how she felt.

"Yeah, she was my girlfriend when she died. It was so unexpected. I still don't believe it sometimes," Peter said, and Mary Jane nodded. "You know, tomorrow will be a year to the day of her death. It'll probably be hard," Peter added, and she put her head down on the table.

After a couple of moments of comfortable silence, Mary Jane raised her head back up.

"So you loved Gwen too, huh?" she asked, and he nodded, sighing afterward. "Well," she continued, grabbing her coat and briefcase, "let's ditch this joint and go get some real food. You like thai?" she asked, and he smiled slightly.

"Only if you like the runs!" he retorted, showing his comfortable humorous side, and she laughed.

"Oh, I _love _them!" she snapped back, causing him to laugh as well. They grabbed their things and headed out into a busy 5th avenue.

Their waiter came back to an empty table, and he sighed.

"No tip?"

**MARY JANE?! WHAAAAT?! Don't worry. You'll see. ;) Review, favorite, and follow! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

As Mary Jane and Peter approached a popular Thai restaurant down the block, Peter groaned as he saw the long line at the door.

"This will take forever!" he whined, and Mary Jane smirked at him.

"Watch this," she said, and she strode past the line and up to the person in charge of reservations. Peter gasped in awe as Mary Jane and the waitress chatted it up, laughing and smiling like they were having a great time. As he watched, Peter felt a tingling in his lower back. However, this wasn't nervousness. He froze in his tracks, and he turned to look back down the crowded city street. His eyes searched the throng of people rapidly, scanning each face intently.

Mary Jane finished talking to Carrie, one of her high school classmates, not knowing that Peter was no longer watching her. When she realized that she was alone and Peter was nowhere to be seen, she did a complete 360, searching for him. However, it was almost impossible as there were so many people on 5th avenue at this hour.

"Peter?" she called.

It became eerily quiet despite the bustle around her, and suddenly strong arms grabbed her, a hand clapped over her mouth, and she was carried into an alley next to the restaurant.

"Let me go!" she screamed into the hand, but it came out extremely muffled. Mary Jane's instinct took over as she bit her assailant's hand and jabbed her elbow into the stomach that was on her back.

She heard a _whoosh _and a _thud _as the air left the attacker's gut, and she took this opportunity to wriggle her way out of the iron grip. She turned rapidly and placed her feet wide, assuming a fighting stance. However, she quickly dropped her fists, and her mouth followed.

Peter Parker was on one knee, clutching his stomach and trying to get his air back.

"Oh my gosh, Peter! Are you alright?!" Mary Jane exclaimed, rushing over to him and placing her hands on his back.

He gasped in response, not able to produce a response in his oxygen-less state. Her mouth still gaped in shock, and he shook his head and shot her a thumbs up.

"I'm good," he croaked, and she couldn't help but chuckle. He was pretty cute.

"Why'd you grab me like that, dumbass?" she asked him as she helped him to his feet. His face went pale, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Peter?"

"Um... I-I have to go. I'll talk to you sometime, Mary Jane!" he stammered, and he turned and sprinted down the alley in the other direction.

"Peter!" she yelled after him, but he had already rounded the corner and disappeared.

'_What the hell, man?' _he thought to himself as he sprinted down the linking alleyway into an empty lot. '_Why would you do that? She's not Gwen. You can't protect her from stuff like that. She doesn't know who you are. _What _you are.' _

She's not Gwen.

Peter speed changed into his Spiderman outfit as his thoughts overtook him. He had to start thinking for himself and for Aunt Mae. He couldn't afford to lose her. Not her too.

As he finished changing, he threw his clothes and shoes into his backpack, quickly scaled a nearby building, and hid his backpack behind an air vent.

Once he had thoroughly hidden his belongings, he stood up straight and closed his eyes, waiting for his spidey sense to lead him to the threat. He stood motionless, the only feeling on his body being the brisk NYC wind, until a small pang in his lower left back caused him to whirl in that direction.

"The usual suspect," he said aloud as he stared at the large Oscorp building in the distance. He hopped off the edge of the building and shot a web, swinging through the alley with ease.

* * *

Aunt Mae jumped as she heard a knock at their door. She glanced at the clock. 10:34.

'_Who would be at the door at this hour?' _she asked herself as she went and opened the door slowly. Standing there was a young man dressed as if he had just come from a dinner party hosted by Jay Gatsby. He was very handsome. He had chiseled facial features, piercing blue-green eyes, and medium length brown hair that was parted.

"Hello, ma'am. Are you Mae Parker?" he asked politely, and she nodded hesitantly. He extended his hand to her, and, after a moment of indecision, she grasped it, gasping at how cold the boy's hands were. "Well it's such an honor! I'm a friend of Peter's," he continued, and she nodded.

"Well would you like to come inside? Peter should be home soon, and I was just now making a pot of coffee," Aunt Mae said, and the boy smiled warmly.

"I would be delighted," Harry Osborne said, and he followed her into the house, making sure to shut the door behind them.

**Sorry for the short chapter, I've had a crap-ton of AP tests at school! But after this week, updates should be more regulated. Thanks for sticking with me this week, guys! :) Read and review! **


	6. Chapter 6

The wind whipped and whistled around Peter's sleek form as he shot webs and swung from skyscraper to skyscraper, the Oscorp building growing larger and larger as he approached it. However, his mind was elsewhere, instinct taking over his web-slinging for the time being.

How could he have done that to Mary Jane? What was he going to say once they were in the alley? That he was Spiderman and he had to go find out what was wrong?

Peter made a mental note to slap himself later, but right now he had to focus on the task at hand. He reached Oscorp and swung to the top of a clock tower that was a block away from the building. From here, he could see through all of the windows of the west side of the tower, and he started investigating for anything suspicious.

Soon enough, he saw a room on the 43rd floor that was dark and seemingly empty. Peter swung very quickly back to his bag and returned to Oscorp, ducking into an alley to change into his street clothes. Once he had done so, he tucked his mask into his backpack, and he strolled into the Oscorp Tower for the first time since he had lost Gwen.

He tried to seem as nonchalant as possible, but just being in this place made his breathing hitch. It was as if the air was poisoned. However, the lady working the front desk didn't seem to notice him as he walked over to the elevator as casually as possible.

The elevator doors opened with an accompanying _ding_, and he strode in and quickly jammed his finger on the button labeled 43. The elevator ride was very short despite the distance that he traveled, and he stepped out onto a landing that was just as dull and white as everything else in this dreadful place.

No one was walking the halls, which he found a little odd, but he dismissed it as luck on his part. Good karma for all those saved lives.

After a mental recollection and a quick eeny-meeny-miney-moe, Peter decided that the dark room was to his left. He turned and started walking briskly down the hall. He glanced in all of the rooms as he passed, but he saw none that weren't lit up. He made a full circle around the floor, arriving once again at the elevator that had dropped him off moments previous.

"What the-...?" he said aloud, and he spun 360 degrees to make sure he wasn't imagining things. "I could've _sworn _that it was on the 43rd..." he was silenced as all of the lights in the hall flickered and cut off.

"Oh crap," he muttered under his breath, and he slowly scooted towards the wall, his back finding it after a few seconds. Peter held his hand in front of his face and was surprised when he couldn't see it. His spidey sense usually allowed him night vision to a certain extent.

Peter was debating whether or not he should stay and continue his snooping, when it dawned on him that he was still alone in the eerily silent hallway. He strode across the hallway, arms outstretched, and his hands soon found a door handle.

A soft _click _was produced as Peter opened the door and stepped into the room. He rubbed his left hand along the inside wall, and his fingers found a light switch, which he flicked to the _on _position. The lights in the room came on, revealing an empty room.

The room was filled with what appeared to be industrial size cubicles, each one harboring multiple racks of beakers filled with a variety of shades and colors of chemicals. None of the desks seemed out of order. In fact, they seemed more organized than usual.

Every pen was aligned, no papers were out of place, and all of the computers were shut down. Except for one desk.

Peter observed the lit computer screen from the back of the office, and he rapidly made his way towards it, doing the best he could to keep quiet. As he reached the cubicle in question, he was put off by the mess. Papers were strewn about and ripped, chemicals were spilled everywhere, the beakers that once held them smashed, and the chair was tipped over with one leg broken off.

Despite all of the signs of a struggle, what really attracted Peter's attention was the computer screen. A document was open on the screen, and it held a formula. An icy chill rippled through his core when he realized that it was his father's double zero formula. The formula that made Peter into Spiderman.

Peter turned towards the door. Did he just hear someone in the hallway?

Suddenly, two men walked into the room. Peter suppressed a gasp, and he ducked under the desk, praying that they hadn't seen him. He didn't hear any signs of a chase, so he figured that they hadn't.

However, he did hear an odd whirring sound and a familiar voice. A _very _familiar voice.

Harry Osborne.

* * *

Mary Jane walked home silently in the cold New York air. She was still very confused and concerned about her encounter with Peter earlier that night. Had she hurt him with that elbow to the ribs? Had she said something that had offended him?

She racked her brain, straining to remember anything that might have caused him to run off like that.

'Maybe his joke about the runs had caused him to psyche himself out,' she thought, and it put a small smile on her face that was quickly replaced with a grimace as the chilly wind of the Big Apple blew through her. Luckily, she was just a block away from her house in Queens, and she sped up her pace a little.

Her thoughts stayed on Peter, but they strayed away from their night together. So he had dated Gwen before she died. She sighed, knowing how hard it is to lose a loved one. Gwen had been that to her as well. Practically a sister since kindergarten, Mary Jane was lost without Gwen. On the outside, she seemed fine, but she was hollow. There was a Gwen-sized hole in her heart that would never be filled again, and she knew that was exactly how Peter felt as well.

She wondered once again where he had run off to as she slipped the key into her front door.

* * *

"So, do you think that this will really work on Parker?" Harry Osborne asked the man standing next to him.

"Absolutely. There is no room for failure," the man said firmly, and Harry nodded with a satisfied smirk.

"Excellent. Parker will be putty in our hands. And with his aunt," Harry tossed a Pumpkin Bomb up in the air, watched it whirl, and caught it once again, "he'll have no choice but to seek us out."

The man nodded once again, his eyes staring through the floor-to-ceiling panes of glass at the New York skyline.

"Beautiful, huh? That's why this is my favorite office," Harry said, and the man regarded Harry suspiciously.

"You don't seem like the type that would enjoy beauty, Mr. Osborn," the man said, and Harry chuckled, his smirk becoming a smile.

"You'd be surprised what you don't know about me, Mr. Octavius."

**Thanks for sticking with me once again :) I'm going to start setting milestones before I update. Before I update again, we need to reach 10 reviews! This seems like a fair exchange. I get feedback, you get content. Simple. Thanks again, guys. :D 3**


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